"Firefly" Fans Want Nathan Fillion to Buy Rights, Bring Show Back

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Remember when the Joss Whedon-created, Nathan Fillion-starring sci-fi series"Firefly" was canceled and the fans were so outraged they whined and whined until Fox and Universal greenlit the "Serenity" feature film spin-off? Right, now remember how that movie couldn't even crack $11 million its opening weekend?

To recap: A show with poor ratings led to a film that didn't make any money. And yet, the Firefly fans can't wrap their heads around why no one wants to bring this franchise back.

Not that that's stopped them from trying.

The newest scheme was spurred on by an offhand quote Fillion gave Entertainment Weekly: "If I got $300 million from the California Lottery, the first thing I would do is buy the rights to Firefly, make it on my own, and distribute it on the Internet.”

Be careful what you wish for, Nate, because fans immediately started up a "Help Nathan Buy Firefly" web site and Facebook page. No word on how much they've raised so far.

A few of the show's writers and producers Tweeted their support, but we imagine Whedon is so tied up in "The Avengers" that "Firefly" is the last thing on his mind.

If nothing else, whatever money is raised will surely make for some interesting fan films.

Published at 12:14 PM EST on Feb 21, 2011 | Updated at 2:42 PM EDT on May 30, 2012